The Esterhaza Opera
Donald Macleod explores how his employer’s obsession for opera fuelled his own musical growth, despite a catastrophic fire.
“Haydn! The admirable and matchless Haydn!” That is how the composer and writer on music Charles Burney described the composer. Over the course of this week, Donald Macleod explores how, before Burney came up with this effusive accolade, Haydn grew to become the most famous composer in the world, despite being holed up on a remote Hungarian estate, far from the musical in-crowds.
We will explore Haydn’s operatic successes, his attempts to infiltrate the Viennese musical world, and his relationship with the other great composer of his day – Mozart. Donald also discovers the contractual arrangement which allowed Haydn's music to spread throughout Europe, and the circumstances which led to him leaving the employ of the Esterhazy family, just as his fame was hitting its height and Haydn himself was beginning to despair at being stuck in the Hungarian countryside.
In Monday’s episode, Donald explores the close knit Esterhaza community and the relationships which flourished there. He’ll also discover how Haydn’s employer Prince Nicolaus Eszterhazy abandoned his obsession for an obsolete musical instrument in favour of opera. We’ll learn of the catastrophic fire which burned the Esterhaza opera house to the ground, destroying many of Haydn’s instruments in the process. And discover how, despite this tragedy, the Prince’s new obsession allowed Haydn to create music of which he was proud and which also allowed him to cultivate and protect his own, more intimate relationships within the Esterhaza household.
Baryton Trio no.126 - Finale
Eszterhazy Ensemble
Philemon und Baucis - Triumph, dem Gott der Gotter! (chorus)
Christoph Genz, tenor (Philemon)
Jan Petryka, tenor (Aret)
Maren Engelhardt, mezzo-soprano (Baucis)
Alexandra Reinprecht, soprano (Narcissa)
Vocalforum Graz
Haydn Sinfonietta Wien
Manfred Huss, conductor
Il mondo della luna - Overture
Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra
Ola Rudner, conductor
Il mondo della luna - Non aver di me sospetto
Thomas Quasthoff, baritone (Buonafede)
Genia Kühmeier, soprano (Lisetta)
Freiburger Barockorchester
Gottfried von der Golz, conductor
Symphony no 59 in A major, Hob I:59 “Fire”
Il Giardino Armonico
Giovanni Antonini, conductor
Armida - Se pietade avete, oh numi
Simona Houda-Saturova, soprano (Armida)
NDR Radiophilharmonie
Alessandro de Marchi, conductor
l’isola disabitata – Fra un dolce deliro
Patricia Petibon, soprano (Silvia)
Concerto Koln
Daniel Harding, conductor
Producer: Sam Phillips
On radio
More episodes
Previous
You are at the first episode
Broadcast
- Mon 20 Apr 202616:00BBC Radio 3
Beethoven Unleashed – the box set
The complete set of Radio 3 Beethoven Unleashed podcasts, with Donald Macleod.
What was really wrong with Beethoven?
Georgia Mann and neurosurgeon Henry Marsh examine the composer's numerous health problems
Composers A to Z
Visit the extensive audio archive of Radio 3 programmes about Composers and their works.
Who knew? Five eye-opening stories from Composer of the Week
The production team reflects on 5 of Donald Macleod’s best stories from the last 20 years
Five reasons why we love Parry's Jerusalem
What is the strange power of Jerusalem which makes strong men weep?
A man out of time – why Parry's music and ideas were at odds with his image...
The composer of Jerusalem was very far from the conservative figure his image suggests.
Composer Help Page
Find resources and contacts for composers from within the classical music industry.
